Simon Says
by Fledgeling
Summary: Simon wakes in the middle of the night to find Derek missing and decides to investigate. Takes place about a week after "The Awakening" ends.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own the Darkest Powers series- I just occasionally like to pretend that I do.**

Simon Says

Simon woke with a start and glanced around the dark room for the source of the noise that had awakened him. It took him a few moments to figure out where he was- he'd been at the safe house for just over a week, and the bedroom was still unfamiliar. Simon checked the time on the alarm clock- 1:56AM- then stared at the rumpled sheets on the twin bed opposite his own. No Derek. That must have been it- Derek moved as silently as a cat (or a wolf, he supposed), but the house was old and the floorboards in the bedroom they shared squeaked horribly, especially under his brother's weight. Simon started to lay back down when he noticed that the clothes Derek had left carelessly piled on the floor were missing as well. _Huh,_ he thought, _not a quick trip to the bathroom then._ That suggested that one of two things had occurred, and neither was good in Simon's opinion.

Simon's first guess- and the one he thought was most likely- was that Derek was Changing. Dad had told them that it was a myth that adult werewolves morphed into wolves whenever there was a full moon. The reality was they usually Changed about once a week in order to prevent the intense physical, mental, and emotional side-effects that occurred if they stayed in human form too long. Lately, Derek's body was starting to follow that cycle, although in the three times he'd tried he wasn't able to complete the transformation.

Simon had never watched his brother's attempts at Changing, and wasn't sure if he wanted to see it now. Their father didn't know much about the process- it was difficult to get accurate information on werewolf habits given that werewolves were both extremely rare and generally refused to have anything to do with other supernaturals (or humans, for that matter). What he _did_ know was that the process was always excruciating... so painful, in fact, that most people who were bitten went into shock and died the first time they tried to Change. Simon wasn't a coward, but he didn't relish the idea of watching Derek go through that, knowing that there was little he could do to relieve his brother's discomfort.

Even worse, what if something went wrong? The Edison Group scientists had altered Derek's DNA, so there was a chance that he'd never to be able to successfully enter his wolf form. And what if he got stuck part way through the Change and ended up permanently in some weird human-canine shape? Or what if Derek's organs ruptured during the skeletal re-arrangement? A few years ago one of Simon's friends, who was allergic to bees, was stung when they were playing soccer after school. Instead of looking for the Epi-Pen he knew his friend always carried, yelling for help, or dialling 9-1-1 on his cell phone, Simon froze. Fortunately, a teacher in the parking lot had been watching and quickly handled the emergency, but to this day Simon was ashamed of his reaction and his inability to help. He worried that if Derek got seriously hurt, he'd panic again. Simon knew that if _he_ was this frightened, Derek must be terrified. He had to find him- if Derek was Changing then this time he'd have Simon by his side.

Simon rummaged around in the dresser, looking for his warmest clothes and grabbing an extra sweatshirt for Derek. He dressed quickly then tiptoed out the hallway and down the stairs, trying his best to remember where the noisiest floorboards were and manoeuvring his way silently around them. A sudden groan from upstairs stopped him in his tracks, and he waited, heart pounding. A series of thuds followed, but when he heard the sound of a toilet flushing he knew he was safe. He listened as whoever it was returned to bed, and decided to err on the side of caution and wait a few minutes before opening the front door and heading outside.

As he waited, Simon frowned, thinking about the second reason why Derek might disappear in the middle of the night fully dressed: Chloe. Simon didn't understand what it was about Chloe, but for whatever reason, Derek took a special interest in her. It was bizarre, really- Derek never took an interest in _anyone_. He didn't have friends and had never even tried to make any, despite Dad and Simon's constant attempts to encourage him to do so. None of their efforts paid off, though, and Derek just seemed baffled by the whole concept- in Derek's opinion, he had his family, so why should he waste time seeking out anyone else when he already had everything he needed? He knew that Derek's isolation worried their father- Simon had caught him a few times reading library books on child psychology. Once, when Simon was upset by Derek's antisocial behaviour at school, Dad had explained that Derek's ability to connect with others hadn't developed properly because of the years of neglect he'd suffered as a child living in the Edison Group labs. So why, after all these years, had Derek suddenly decided to use his interpersonal skills to befriend Chloe? Sure, Chloe was cute, smart, and nice, but Derek had met plenty of cuter, smarter, and nicer girls and he'd ignored them all. Maybe it was the whole supernatural thing, or that she needed help... Derek did love solving difficult problems, and Chloe's out-of-control summoning was about as tough a problem as he could imagine. Simon shuddered, and really hoped that if Derek was off helping Chloe with an emergency zombie disposal that the job would be finished by the time he caught up with them.

**I hope you enjoyed this story and if you did, read on... the next chapter awaits! **


	2. Chapter 2

Simon unlocked the front door and jogged around the house to the backyard. When he got to the woods at the edge of the property he paused, listening. He was fairly certain that if Chloe was with Derek, his overprotective brother would insist they stay close to the house in case of danger. As he walked quietly into the trees, he heard the faint sounds of voices somewhere to his right. He followed cautiously until he was certain of their owners, and softly called Derek's name. When he spotted Derek's huddled form, he took a deep breath and walked confidently towards his brother, reminding himself to keep his expression neutral.

Nothing could have prepared Simon for what he saw. Derek's transformation was already well underway: his body was contorted into an unnatural position, he'd sprouted fur and claws, and his face was horribly deformed. When Derek looked at him, Simon could clearly read the pain and terror in his eyes. For a minute he stared in shock, forgetting his resolution to stay calm and not let his brother know how frightened he was, but he was jolted from his trance by Derek's agonized yelps.

"It's okay; you're going to be fine, I promise," Simon told him as he knelt next to his brother.

"I'm glad you're here, and I'm sure he is, too," Chloe said softly.

Simon jumped, startled and turned around. He hadn't realized that she was there as he'd been so focused on Derek, and mentally kicked himself for not remembering that Chloe was always present for Derek's Changes. She murmured reassuring words as she massaged his brother's shoulders, seeming oblivious to the fur that elongated and receded as she rubbed his seizing muscles. Simon watched in awe. He knew that she was kind and compassionate- she'd defended Tori after the crawl space incident, hadn't she?- but _this_ seemed excessive. Derek was bossy, condescending, and rude to Chloe (much less so than he was to others, but Simon doubted that anyone else could notice the difference). So why was she here, comforting Derek despite the danger?

Derek moaned again, arching his back as his arms and legs trembled. Simon used his arms to help support his brother and relieve some of the weight from Derek's shaking muscles. It seemed to help, and Derek shot him a look of gratitude before the next wave to seizures began.

Simon eventually lost track of time as he and Chloe alternated between whispering reassurances and holding and rubbing Derek while his body was wracked by spasms. He tried to block out the nauseating popping sounds of joints dislocating and ignore the feeling under his hands as Derek's bones re-arranged themselves. Finally, the seizures stopped, the fur disappeared, and Derek lay on his side breathing heavily as his body slowly returned to its normal appearance.

"I guess it's over. I'll go get your clothes, okay?" Chloe said gently, as Derek nodded wearily.

"See? No panic attacks or running away screaming in horror- next time you Change, you'll call me, right?" Simon asked after Chloe had vanished into the trees.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I tried to hide this from you- I just... I didn't want you to see me like this," Derek said hoarsely.

"You didn't mind having Chloe here," Simon reminded him with a touch of bitterness. He'd tried not to let it bother him, but it hurt that Derek didn't trust him enough to be able to cope with his transformation. He knew he wasn't the most responsible guy in the world, but did Derek really think Simon was such a liability that he didn't want him around? They were _brothers_, family, whereas Chloe was just some girl Derek barely knew... and yet when strong, self-reliant Derek needed help he'd turned to her instead of to Simon. Sure, Simon was glad that Derek hadn't been alone, but he was definitely upset that Derek thought he couldn't depend on his own brother.

Derek must have picked up on sometthing in Simon's tone, as he waited a minute before replying. "Look- the first time, Chloe found me. Believe me, you have no idea how much I wish she hadn't seen Frankenderek, but she did and I doubt she'll forget it. I know it's selfish and dangerous, but I... I just don't want to be alone when the Changes happen and I didn't see the point of traumatizing another person with the sight of me doing- _that_. That's why I didn't call you, Simon."

Simon could tell that Derek was lying, or at least was only telling part of the truth, but decided to let the matter drop for now given how exhausted they both were. Chloe returned with Derek's clothes- good thing Simon had brought the extra sweatshirt as his brother would've frozen out here in that tee- when Derek suddenly jackknifed off the ground. Almost as if in fast-forward, the claws and fur reappeared, Derek's bones and muscles shifted and twisted in conformation, and his face became more and more canine. The Change was over, and an enormous black wolf was standing where his brother had been.

**If you liked it and want to find out how it ends, the rest of the story will be added in a few days. Also, I really want to thank everyone who read my first story (Monsters and Demons- yes, I know, I'm awful with titles), and especially those who took the time to write reviews- you totally made my day!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Huge appologies to everyone for taking so long to update... moving is exhausting, as Simon, Derek and Chloe could definitely tell you!**

Simon stood still, barely breathing as he watched the wolf. Behind him, he heard Chloe let out a stifled gasp, and the wolf turned to look at her.

"Derek? Are you okay?" Chloe asked quietly as she stepped forward, reaching her hand out towards the animal.

The wolf nodded then stiffened as she began to stoke his head and muzzle. Simon's heart was racing- half of him was convinced the wolf would attack; while the other half knew that as unlikely as it seemed, his brother was inside that furry shell and Derek would never hurt Chloe. He raised his hands into position for a knock-back spell just in case, but the animal continued to stand perfectly still as Chloe murmured something to it that Simon couldn't hear. The wolf nodded again and swivelled its head to stare at him. His heart beat even faster as it walked over and touched its nose to Simon's upraised hand, then sat back on its haunches and whined.

"It's still Derek, Simon. He wants to make sure you're alright- he's worried about you," Chloe said.

Simon gave her a startled glance- _the wolf was worried about him?_- but the animal nodded, and he noticed that its eyes- Derek's eyes- were full of concern.

"Derek?" he asked, in an embarrassingly high voice.

The wolf nodded again and lay down, paws folded. The wolf- _Derek_- kept turning his head from side to side, watching both Simon and Chloe with a slightly anxious expression.

Simon started laughing. He couldn't help it; the whole situation was so surreal. His brother had just turned into an enormous dog- not exactly something that happened every day. Then again, he had always wanted a pet...

Derek shot him a disgusted look, shaking his head in a gesture that was so typically _Derek_ that Simon burst out laughing again.

"Umm, Simon, I think you're hysterical. Maybe you should go back inside? I'll stay with Derek until he's recovered enough to Change back," Chloe said in the kind of gentle, deliberate tone that people use when trying to reason with a crazy person.

"No, it's fine. I'm fine. I just- I mean, he's a wolf! I need a minute to adjust. Besides, I doubt that Derek really wants you to see him naked, anyway, which is what he will be when he Changes back," Simon said, gesturing towards the fabric scraps on the ground that were all that remained of Derek's boxers.

The Derek-wolf yelped and jumped up with such a clear look of panic on his face that Simon had to work really, really hard not to give in to another fit of giggles.

Chloe frowned slightly and said, "Right. You were fine having me watch you transform into a wolf but you're terrified that I might get a glimpse of you naked? Doesn't that seem a little ridiculous?"

"Nope," Simon replied, as Derek shook his furry head vigorously. Chloe sighed and muttered something under her breath about boys being weird.

Derek didn't seem reassured by this statement, so Simon decided to try to calm him down by changing the subject.

"Derek, you should totally see yourself. Seriously," Simon continued, "next time we need cash, you transform and I'll enter you in one of those dog beauty contests!"

Derek grunted and gave him an eye-roll (apparently, being a wolf didn't improve his sense of humor), but Chloe said softly, "You really are beautiful, Derek."

It was true- Derek might not have been much to look as a human, but he made a stunning wolf. He was huge, even bigger than a Newfoundland or a Sheepdog, and had such glossy, jet-black fur that Simon's fingers itched to run through it. He doubted that any wolf had ever had worn the shy, embarrassed-yet-pleased expression that Derek was wearing right now, though, as it seemed distinctly human, and Simon was certain that under all that fur Derek was blushing. _He likes her,_ Simon realized with a pang, _not just as a friend_. His brother had a crush on Chloe.

**Aaagh! Sorry for the short chapter (and the minor cliff-hanger!)...it won't happen again. Now that the boxes are finally unpacked (yay!), I have time to finish writing- the last part of the story will be up by the end of the week.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

Simon wasn't sure how he felt about that. On the plus side, it proved that Derek was human after all, which was a welcome reminder, given his brother's current canine state. He knew that Derek's feelings for Chloe were a good thing, since unlike most people, she wasn't afraid to stand up to him. As a result, his brother had changed for the better since they'd met her; Derek was generally less irritable and occasionally asked for opinions- not that Derek usually listened, but it was still an improvement. And it was possible that Chloe might like Derek back... she was here, wasn't she? No one, not even someone as soft-hearted as Chloe, would take care of a teenage werewolf experiencing his first Changes without really caring about him. She seemed to make Derek happy, and Simon knew that his brother definitely deserved some happiness after everything he'd been through.

On the other hand, he wasn't sure that he liked the idea of Derek and Chloe together. When he'd first met Chloe, Simon had been stuck in Lyle House for months with only psycho Tori, Tori's best friend Liz, and two-faced Rae for female companionship; so naturally Simon had been interested in the cute new girl. After he'd gotten to know her, though, Simon found that while he genuinely liked Chloe and they had a lot in common, his feelings for her were strictly platonic. So if he didn't want Chloe for himself, why was he upset? Was he so vain that he couldn't stand the idea that a girl might choose his brother over him? Possibly, but he didn't think so- it was more that Derek's having a girlfriend would be another change, and Simon was so sick of changes!

He just wanted everything to go back to way it was before... back to when Dad was always there to look after them, when Simon's biggest worries were about math homework or missing a free throw on game night. To before he found out that his dad had signed him up to be a genetic experiment, to when he'd never have believed that his father would have done such a thing, let alone ever have worked for people who did. To when he hadn't known anyone who'd died, whereas now he knew three kids who'd been murdered. _Back to when he wasn't afraid all the time._

Simon sighed, knowing that this couldn't happen- besides, Derek and Chloe dating wouldn't be too bad, really... Simon flinched, horrified by the sudden remembrance that he'd been flirting with Chloe ever since they arrived at the safe house. He hadn't meant anything by it- he just wanted to make her feel better and take her mind off her worries about her aunt. Or maybe he just wanted to make himself feel better, to prove that he was still the popular, funny, good-looking guy that he used to be. Simon had been too busy sulking over his own problems to notice how much his brother liked her- he was such an _idiot_, no wonder Derek didn't want him around!

Chloe interrupted Simon's brooding by pointing out the time. They'd been outside for almost two hours, and it would soon be dawn. At first, Simon was confused as to why this mattered- Derek was a werewolf, not a vampire- until Chloe reminded him that unless they wanted to challenge Derek's control over his canine instincts when the forest animals awoke, Derek should probably start trying to Change back.

"Are you up for that, bro, or would you rather chase some squirrels?" Simon asked jokingly, although he was surprised when instead of the grunt of disdain he'd expected, Derek's ears perked up and his tail wagged with excitement. As soon as Derek realized what he was doing, he immediately stopped and quickly resumed his serious, dignified posture as though nothing had happened.

"You must be worn out, Derek- maybe we should just go back to the house so you can eat and get some rest before trying to Change again," Chloe said, sounding concerned.

Simon and Derek exchanged an understanding glance. Chloe hadn't been raised as a supernatural, so she didn't share the fear of werewolves that was so deeply ingrained in their community. There was no way that Derek would walk into the safe house in wolf form, as everyone inside would instantly panic- they wouldn't see a huge, polite dog with an exceptionally intelligent (if annoyed) expression, but a vicious monster. As much as it angered Simon, even Andrew, who was almost an uncle to the boys, treated Derek as if he was somehow less than human; while Derek acted as though it didn't bother him, Simon knew he was hurt. The brothers had tried explaining all of this to Chloe before, but she'd insisted that it was ridiculous and that she refused to tolerate such stupid prejudices.

Realizing that this wasn't a good time to debate challenging perceptions about werewolves, Simon decided to point out the obvious. "I think it's probably best if Derek Changes now- he'd just be worried that he wouldn't be able to become human again otherwise. Besides, Andrew's such an obsessive-compulsive neat freak that there's no way he's going to allow Derek in the house as a wolf. Remember the fit he threw yesterday when I forgot to use a coaster and left that ring on the coffee table? Mr. Clean would have a heart attack at the thought of Derek chewing the furniture and shedding fur all over the place."

Derek nodded in agreement and Chloe sighed, defeated. Derek looked at her sadly then started to push her gently in the direction of the house.

"Derek! I'm not leaving. We've gone this far together, I should stay for the whole thing," she insisted.

Derek hesitated then squared his shoulders, making a gentle sort of growling noise as he pushed her again with his muzzle.

"It looks like his mind's made up, Chloe. You should probably head back inside," Simon said softly. "I'll take good care of him."

"I know," she replied with a hesitant smile, but it was clear she was worried. Simon didn't blame her- he was afraid, too, and while he was glad that Derek was allowing him to remain, he knew that this Change would be every bit as painful and dangerous as the previous transformation; probably even more so as Derek was already exhausted. Chloe bent slightly to give Derek a quick hug and warned that if the boys weren't back in a few hours she'd return,"-whether you're naked or not, Derek!"

**Only one more chapter left, and it's a good one, I promise... keep reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

After Chloe reluctantly left, Simon knelt beside his brother and did his best to encourage him as he Changed. The process was much worse than Simon had expected; he'd still been in the house during the projectile vomiting and dry-heaving portion of events that marked the beginning of Derek's transformations, but this time he had a front-row seat. Simon gagged a few times himself, and was humiliated when Derek turned around and looked at him with concern. _Great_, Simon thought with disgust, _some brother I am. First I hit on his girl, and then when Derek's in pain, he has to try to comfort me_. He gave Derek a weak smile, and re-doubled his efforts at massaging his brother's seizing muscles, determined to help him through this. Simon thought about all the times he'd been hospitalized because of his diabetes- Derek had visited him every day, despite the fact that hospitals reminded him of the awful years he'd spent living in the Edison Group's lab. He'd always been there whenever Simon needed him. They didn't share the same blood, but they were closer than any set of biological siblings he knew; brothers in all the ways that counted. There was no way that Simon would let Derek down now.

As the sky lightened, Derek's Change showed no signs of stopping. It was terrible to watch, but Simon was filled with awe at his brother's bravery in being able to be in so much pain and yet still try to shield Simon from the horror of the process by not screaming in agony and hiding his facial deformity. He kept telling Derek not to worry about him and to do whatever he needed to feel better, but Simon knew it was pointless- Dad always said that if you looked up "stubborn" in the dictionary, you'd find Derek's picture. As he held Derek's shaking muscles, Simon did what he did best, and talked. To distract him from the pain, Simon reminded Derek of good times they'd shared with Dad, recalled some of their crazy adventures, and did impersonations of the nosy, cat-lady neighbor they'd had in Albany, and of the vice-principal at their school outside Ithaca who was always measuring girls' skirts with a yard stick and ranting about how all of the evils in the world were the fault of MTV (whenever he wasn't screaming at the boys to pull up their pants, that is). Derek even gave a wheezy snort at the memory of how Mr. Wilbur's head almost exploded at the end-of-year assembly when he saw the video Simon and his friends had digitally altered (and switched with the boring one on fire safety) to show the vice-principal's head on Britney Spears' body as the singer danced provocatively in an outfit that definitely wouldn't have passed the ruler test.

Finally, well after dawn, the Change ended and Derek was human again. Simon helped his brother dress-it seemed Derek really was worried that Chloe would pop up at any second to spy on his nude body, despite Simon's insistence that the girl had been traumatized enough for one night- then they both lay on the ground, far too tired to walk the short distance through the trees back to the house. As they dozed, Simon looked over at his brother, and decided that there was something he needed to say.

"Derek? You awake?" Simon asked. Taking Derek's grunt for a yes, he continued, "Look, I know that I've been a jerk lately. Things have been hard for all of us, and I've been making them worse by acting like a stupid, irresponsible little kid."

"Acting?" Derek asked sarcastically, but Simon ignored him, knowing that sarcasm was his brother's standard response to anything emotional.

"Anyway, I'm sorry. I just want you to know that you can trust me; depend on me. I don't know what's happened to Dad, but he'd want us to be there for each other. So I'm going to try harder to be the kind of brother you deserve."

"Simon," Derek mumbled, "you've always been a great brother- a pain in the ass, definitely, but a good brother."

"Same goes for you, too, big guy. And about Chloe-"

"Don't", Derek interrupted sharply, but again, Simon ignored him.

"- You know I hate to be tied down, and she's the kind of girl who wants a serious relationship. Besides she's not really my type, and I think she might prefer someone else... someone more _wolfish_, if you get my drift. But seriously, dude, take my advice: moonlit strolls, picnics, a walk on the beach- those are romantic dates. Holding your hair back while you puke your guts out and turn into a different species? Raising the dead? Not so much. Try keeping that straight from now on."

After a few minutes of silence, Derek called out, "Simon?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut-up and go to sleep."

Simon grinned. "Okay, bro. If you don't want to benefit from my considerable experience on how to drive the ladies wild-"

"What part of 'SHUT-UP' didn't you understand!?!" Derek bellowed.

"Shutting up now," Simon said, and shut-up he did, as he curled up among the leaves and fell asleep.

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**Yay, it's finally finished! I really hope you liked it, and thanks so much for reading! And in case you guessed, yes, Mr. Wilbur is a real person- he was my junior high school principal, and he was actually much more annoying in real life (thanks for scarring me for life, Sir, by wearing that Speedo! I'll send you the therapy bills later). **

** Also, I'm now "officially" a beta reader, so if you need someone to look over your story for grammar/spelling/typo issues, let me know- I'd love to help.**


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